First Chapter Reveal
The Heart of the Matter
Deanna Lynn Sletten
Chapter One
Marsha
Marsha Winslow sat at her dressing table, applying the
finishing touches to her make-up. She studied her face and neck, lightly tracing
her fingertips over her pale skin. At forty-five years old, her skin still
looked smooth. Despite growing up in southern California, where her generation
liberally bathed in the sun, she’d managed to protect her skin in her older, wiser
years, and the damage didn’t show yet. Still, she knew she didn’t look like a
dewy-fresh twenty-year-old. She was long past that.
Marsha shook out her shoulder-length dark brown hair to
loosen the curl she’d meticulously added with a curling iron earlier. She liked
having a little body to her hair but not a tight curl. Once her make-up and
hair were finished, she added the finishing touch. Marsha lifted the gold heart
necklace from its spot on her dressing table and carefully clasped it around
her neck. The diamonds on the pendant sparkled in the light and made Marsha
smile. Her husband of twenty years, Craig, had given her this necklace on their
fifteenth anniversary, telling her she was the keeper of his heart. She
absolutely cherished it.
“I’ll be gone for only three days,” Craig said, stepping out
of the bathroom attached to their bedroom. His hand lovingly caressed Marsha’s
shoulder as he passed her on his way to the closet. Craig was seven years her
senior and had gained a bit of weight lately, but he still cut a fine figure in
a three-piece suit. He continued to speak as he tied his silk tie and slipped
on his vest. “I just want to check in at the Monterey office so they don’t
think I’ve forgotten them,” he said, buttoning up his vest. After putting on
his suit jacket, he slid his feet into polished black shoes.
Marsha stood and walked over to him, looking up into his
warm brown eyes. “I’m sure they know you haven’t forgotten them,” she said,
grinning. She reached up and straightened the knot in his tie. “But it’s always
good to make an appearance.”
Craig smiled back at her. “I’m sure they could easily forget
me. You, however, are unforgettable.” He kissed her sweetly on the lips, then
turned to retrieve his overcoat from the closet.
“It’s seventy-eight degrees outside,” Marsha told him, stepping
into the dark blue heels that matched her flowing blue and cream dress. “A coat
isn’t necessary.”
“It’s necessary in Monterey,” he said.
“That’s true.” Marsha checked the contents of her husband’s
suitcase that lay open on the bed. “Do you have everything you need?”
“I think so,” he said, giving the contents a cursory look.
“You must plan on golfing while you’re there.” Marsha had
noted the cotton trousers and polo shirt in his bag.
“I’m hoping to get on the course tomorrow afternoon if I
can,” he said. “It’s always a good way to relax and talk to the office manager.
It’s more casual that way.”
Marsha nodded. She knew her husband conducted a lot of his
business on golf courses.
Craig snapped the suitcase shut and lifted it off the bed. When
he turned, he smiled again at his wife. “You look lovely today.”
“Thank you.” She was always grateful for the way Craig
noticed and complimented her. After twenty years of marriage, their
relationship hadn’t dimmed. Craig always remembered important dates and was
very attentive.
“How is the gallery doing?” he asked.
“Wonderfully,” Marsha said. “Tourist season is all year
round in California, thank goodness. We’ve sold a few very nice pieces lately.
You should see the new sculpture Marco brought in. It’s made of granite, and
it’s gorgeous.”
“Sounds nice,” Craig said. They walked together down the
hallway toward the front door. Their lovely home in Palos Verdes sat on a cliff
with an expansive view of the ocean. On the way to the door, they passed
several rooms with large windows displaying breathtaking views.
Craig gave Marsha a kiss before opening the front door. “I
can’t wait to go on our anniversary cruise,” he said softly. “Twenty years.
It’s gone by so quickly.”
“Too quickly,” Marsha said, leaning into him. “It’ll be fun
though. I can’t wait.”
“I’ll see you in a few days.” Craig kissed her again and
then walked to his car in their driveway. The strands of silver that ran
through his dark hair glistened in the sunshine as he put his suitcase in the
back seat of his Mercedes EQS SUV and then slid in behind the wheel. With one
last wave, his car drove away down their driveway and then through the
neighborhood.
Marsha sighed, closed the door, and walked into the kitchen
for a second cup of coffee. Standing at the windows in the dining room, she
enjoyed the view of the deep blue water. Their yard was large and lush with
flowering hedges and small hidden alcoves. One held a swinging bench. Another private
spot had a table and chairs where they sometimes enjoyed their morning coffee
on weekends. They had a pool that sat under a large pergola and a back patio
with an outdoor kitchen. She knew she was lucky to live this amazing life with
a man who adored her and a job she loved. Despite never having been blessed
with children—which Marsha would have loved to have experienced—their marriage
was strong. And she couldn’t wait until the end of the month when they’d
celebrate their time together on a beautiful Caribbean cruise.
With one last sip of coffee, she grabbed her purse and
headed out the door to her art gallery.
***
As Marsha drove the short distance inland from the coast to
her art gallery at the lovely Promenade PV, she saw the huge billboard with her
husband’s handsome face advertising his business. She smiled. Craig Winslow
Insurance Agency, it read, in large, red letters. He’d paid for two large
billboards—this one and one on Highway One north. Every time Marsha drove past
them, they made her smile.
Craig had started his
first agency in Torrance a few years before she’d met him, and together, they’d
worked hard—he as the agent and she as the office manager—and expanded to own
offices in Malibu and Monterey. Years of hard work had paid off, and they’d
purchased their dream home in Palos Verdes. Marsha had also been able to start
Coastal Charm Gallery with her long-time best friend from college, Kristen. Her
dear friend had been introduced to Craig’s brother, Jeffery, by Marsha years
ago and the two were happily married now. So together, Marsha and Kristi had
opened a prestigious little art gallery which, over the past five years, had
flourished.
Unlocking the glass door to the gallery, Marsha walked
toward the back room to flip on the lights. She stopped a moment to admire the
smooth granite sculpture in the glass case that Marco had recently brought in.
It was beautiful. She knew that one of their high-end clients would snatch it
up as quickly as possible, and she wanted to enjoy it while it was here.
Locking her purse in the bottom desk drawer in the back, she
snapped on the lights and headed up front again, walking around the glass cases
displaying artwork.
“Good morning,” Kristi chirped as she entered the front
door. “It’s such a beautiful day outside.”
“Good morning,” Marsha greeted her. She smiled at her
energetic friend. Kristi was a petite ball of energy with short blond hair and
bright blue eyes. Marsha hadn’t a clue how Kristi kept up with her two young
children, the art gallery, and her husband and still be bubbly every morning. But
it was one of the reasons she loved her so much. “Yes. It is. Hopefully, we’ll
have plenty of people walking around the Promenade today, looking for gifts.”
Kristi went to the back room to put away her purse while
Marsha turned over their OPEN sign in the window. Their storefront had all
glass windows, although they did not display their artwork there. Direct
sunlight could damage their many paintings and sculptures. Instead, they had large
canvases showing photos of the many works of art inside. Below the canvases, on
antique white tables, were an array of ocean-themed items for decoration. Since
the Promenade PV shopping area was a short distance from the beach, a beachy
theme was what drew people inside.
Kristi met Marsha at the glass counter, where they displayed
handmade gold and silver jewelry by local artisans. They didn’t have a desk or
cash register to ruin the look and flow of the shop. The interior was painted a
soft aqua color with white trim and had a white plank-board ceiling with white
beams. Marsha had wanted the place to exhibit a soothing environment as customers
wandered the displays.
“Are you getting excited about the cruise?” Kristi asked. “I
certainly am. A week in the Caribbean with my best friends and no kids,” she
said, laughing. “I don’t know how I’ll manage.”
Marsha laughed along. “I can’t wait. I’m so happy you and
Jeffrey are coming along. Are your parents going to watch the children?”
“Yes,” Kristi said. “They’re coming to our house so the kids
won’t miss school. We haven’t been on a vacation in years, so this will be
nice.”
Soon, customers came inside the gallery, and the two women
became busy. They took turns getting lunch so one of them could keep an eye on
the shop, and the day went by quickly.
“Are you sure Mari and Kevin will be fine running the
gallery while we’re away?” Marsha asked Kristi during a lull in the afternoon.
“They’ll be fine. Don’t worry. They run the gallery on the
weekends and do a great job.” Kristi shook her finger at her friend. “Don’t you
dare come up with an excuse not to go on the cruise.”
Marsha chuckled. “I’m not. I’d close for a week if I had to.
There’s no way I’m going to miss spending a week with Craig. He works so much;
I feel like I hardly see him anymore.”
Kristi left the shop at four to go home to her eight-and
ten-year-old children, and Marsha closed at five and headed home. She made
herself a light dinner and sat out on the veranda to enjoy the ocean view while
she ate. She also made a list of all the things she needed to pack for their
cruise, and the items she needed to buy. At nine o’clock, she checked her
phone, surprised that Craig hadn’t called her to say goodnight.
Once she was ready for bed, she checked her phone again.
Craig was usually so scheduled he rarely missed calling her in the evening
while he was away. He took trips to his offices often and was always good about
staying in touch. Marsha thought about calling him, then thought he might have gone
golfing that evening. She decided he’d probably eaten at the club with friends
after golfing, and time slipped away from him.
Crawling into their king-sized bed, she lay back and smiled.
Craig would be home the day after tomorrow, and maybe they’d take a long drive
along the ocean on Saturday and enjoy the view. With that thought in mind, she
fell asleep.
***
The next day, Marsha opened the gallery as usual and made a
few phone calls to their favorite clients to tell them about the new items that
had come into the shop. One client, in particular, had just built a five-thousand-square-foot
home up the hill from her house with an incredible view of the ocean. She was
working with a decorator and they were doing a modern motif throughout the
home. Marsha thought Marco’s new granite piece would be perfect for the woman.
Around noon, as Marsha went to the back room to get her
purse and go buy lunch, her phone rang. She smiled, thinking it was probably
Craig, but then saw it was a number she didn’t recognize. Ignoring the call,
Marsha walked back through the gallery as the phone rang again.
“Oh, these annoying telemarketers,” Marsha said, stopping
beside Kristi. Her friend nodded her understanding.
“Hello,” Marsha said sharply, wanting to end the call
immediately.
“Is this Mrs. Winslow?” an authoritative male voice asked on
the other end of the line.
Marsha stood still for a moment, frowning. “Yes.”
“Mrs. Winslow.” The man’s voice was suddenly gentler. “My
name is Sargent Terrance Riley of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department in
Malibu. I’m so sorry to inform you that your husband, Craig Winslow, has been
in a car accident.”
Marsha took a sudden breath and her hand flew to the heart
necklace at her throat. “Is he okay?” she asked. Kristi moved closer to Marsha
because of the distressed look on her face.
There was a pause that seemed to last an eternity.
“I’m sorry, ma’am. But your husband has died.”
Marsha’s eyes grew wide as she stared at Kristi.
“What’s wrong?” Kristi asked, coming even closer.
“Craig’s gone,” Marsha whispered. Dizziness swept over her,
and her knees went weak. Her beloved husband was dead.
-***-
I hope you enjoyed this first chapter. This book releases on March 11, 2025. You can preorder The Heart of the Matter on Amazon Kindle. It will be available in paperback and audiobook on or around the release date.
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